Sedona Weekend Getaway

We had decided to take a long weekend trip without the kids for my big 40. We have never traveled without them and was super hesitant to be away from them for that long. I mean, who does that? Leaving their kids behind while having fun. Well, I am glad we did and will continue to take breaks from our kids. We all need a break and reconnect with ourselves and each other.

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Not only was it a weekend away from the kids but we were meeting my sister and brother-in-law there. It’s been so long since I saw my sister and brother in law. We flew into Phoenix early in the morning for a jam-packed weekend getaway. We picked up our car rental and headed straight to their hotel to pick them up. We then trekked on the two-hour drive to Sedona. On our way, we stopped at Denny’s for lunch. After lunch, we made our way to a vineyard for some wine tasting. It was a must do while here in Arizona. We had planned to stop at two vineyards before checking into our hotel. However, when we arrived at the first one, we decided to take our time, enjoy and relax. We had so much catching up to do! We ended up staying there the whole afternoon.

Alcantara Vineyard was set beautifully with what appeared to be miles and miles of grapevines. It was so picturesque and the weather was perfect. Slight wind but the temperature was hovering in the mid-70s. We sat outside in their patio and enjoyed the scenery. All I imagined was all the beautiful weddings that may have taken place here.

Beautiful setting at Alcantara Vineyard

We opted for the V.I.P. tasting which included five one-ounce tasting of our choice and a crystal glass with an etched logo of Alcantara Vineyard. We also ordered an Antipasto Plato. Delicious!!!

We finally decided to leave the vineyard and head into Sedona and check into our hotel, Sedona Real Inn & Suites. Once we arrived at our hotel and checked in, we rested for a couple of hours before heading back out for exploring the area and dinner.

I was so looking forward to our hot air balloon ride that we had reserved for the next day but received a call that they had to cancel due to the high winds they were experiencing and expecting it to last a few days. Needless to say, I was bummed that I would not have a chance to experience the hot air balloon ride on this trip. 😢 I think my sister was secretly happy that it was canceled though.

We decided to stop at the concierge service desk to see what was available. We generally plan for 1-2 activities to do prior to the trip to allow us some flexibility while we are there. We decided to reserve for the Pink Jeep Tour and a Day trip to Page, AZ for the Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend Tour.

Now that we got that squared away, we asked her for best places for some photo ops. She gave us a few suggestions and off we went exploring. All I can say is WOW!! So beautiful!! We took so many pictures. But it does not do justice for how beautiful and peaceful it is.

Our day trip to Page, AZ started out with our guide picking us up in front of the hotel. We opted for a guide and private car so we could enjoy the trip and not have to worry about who should do the driving. It was a 3-hour drive and we just wanted to relax. Our guide was super friendly and knowledgeable. He pointed out the key points of interests.

Inside Antelope Canyon

After our tour of Antelope Canyon, we headed out to Glen Canyon Dam and stayed there briefly. Then off we went to Horseshoe Bend. It is quite a hike to get to this. About one and a half mile but once you get there. What a view! And Vang is such a daredevil giving me heart palpitations.

My Daredevil at Horseshoe Bend

Once we finished our time at Horseshoe Bend, we headed back to our guide and car and back to Sedona. We were so glad we opted not to drive ourselves as we were able to nap on the ride back. We made a lot of stops on the way back into Sedona for pictures as well as stopping at Cameron Trading Post for some shopping. When we arrived back in Sedona, we asked our guide to stop at a local bakery to pick up a birthday cake for me. He then dropped us off at our hotel.

We hurried and readied ourselves for our dinner reservation at The Golden Goose American Grille. It was an intimate setting with a nice ambiance and had a local guitarist playing.

Our dinner was wonderful! Little did I know Vang had planned something extra. He had asked the guitarist to play a song for me. I was even given a copy of his CD! Then the staff along with the guitarist came out with the cake to sing Happy Birthday to me. So beautiful!! And was so not expecting that! What a great way to end the evening!

Happy Birthday to Me!!

The next morning we decided to hike up to the famous Devil’s Bridge. Be prepared for a long hike but once you get there, you will fall in love with it as we did with everything else here in Sedona. There were so many people waiting in line for their turn to get on the bridge for their photo ops. You would’ve thought you were in line waiting to meet Mickey Mouse at Disney. Oh and the crazy and daring things people did while on the bridge such at cartwheel, handstands, yoga pose or just running around up there…Give me a heart attack!! Ahem…Vang…yes talking about you my dear husband.

We made it!!! Devil’s Bridge

On our way back down, we got a little lost in the hot sun. A bit frustrated and rushed as we were now running late for our Pink Jeep Tour.

The Pink Jeep Tour was so fun. It was not a private tour and had so much fun with the other folks. We chose the three-hour tour that took us through the Broken Arrow Trail and the scenic rim. It was a bumpy ride with the twist and turns all surrounded in the most beautiful setting. What an awesome way to explore the rugged backcountry here!

Do not skip the sunsets while you are in Sedona! One of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen.

As with all good things, it has to come to an end.

This was one great weekend getaway! We love our kids but needed this break from them as well. It was so memorable and loved that we were able to relax and reconnect with each other.

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19 thoughts on “Sedona Weekend Getaway”

One of my best friends just moved to this part of Arizona. Needless to say, I’ll be forwarding this info to him, and using it myself to plan my first trip to Arizona and things to do while visiting him. Your pictures are stunning. I’m a sucker for a good photo opportunity. Thank you for helping me plan my next trip, Lina!

That’s too bad that your hot air balloon trip was cancelled! Why do you think your sister was secretly happy it was cancelled? Afraid of heights?
I’m definitely the daredevil when hiking like your husband! My husband is constantly asking me to “not stand so close to the edge!” But if I don’t stand close to the edge, how will I see what is below!? ;]

I was so bummed about the hot air balloon. I am more of a daredevil than my sis but definitely not like my husband. And you are so correct! How else are we supposed to see what is below if we don’t look? 🙂

Sedona is gorgeous! We used to live near Phoenix and traveled up there when I was pregnant with our second son. The Chapel of the Holy Cross has special meaning to us as that was where we found the unique spelling we use for our son’s name (found in a baby name book in the bookstore).

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Hey there! My name is Lina and welcome to The Caffeinated Introvert! I am so glad you are here! I love spending time with my family and making memories. Follow along with us for inspiration on being intentional and enjoy life as you balance all the beautiful chaos life brings one cup at a time.

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